This invention relates to slide bearings and particularly to an improved slide bearing system capable of accommodating elevated temperatures.
Teflon fluorocarbon resin materials have been used in slide bearings for many years. One such bearing material currently available, under the trademark Fluorogold, from The Fluorocarbon Company is a special formulation of fluorocarbon resin reinforced with a strong glass aggregate and other agents. This provides a structural material which offers significant compressive strength without cold creep, yet retains the low friction properties and chemical inertness of the fluorocarbon material. Such bearings have been used in bridges, buildings, transit systems, pipe lines and other applications to support heavy loads which must move laterally to accommodate expansion and contraction. Such bearings provide economy and maintenance free dependability continue as permanent as the structure they support.
One limitation of such bearing material is that at elevated temperatures the material begins to soften and lose some of its ability to withstand heavy compressive loads, and the coefficient of friction increases. Consequently, bearings made of this material have in the past not been suitable for high temperature applications. There are many such applications wherein industrial equipment is operated at elevated temperatures and it is desirable to mount such equipment on slide bearings to handle expansion and contraction. Hence, a need exists for practical slide bearings employing material of this type in a system which can reliably withstand the high temperatures.